1. Field of the Invention
The field of art to which the invention pertains includes the field of spool holder apparatus for sewing machines, particularly, a spool holder apparatus for securing a spool of thread in a horizontal plane on a sewing machine head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional thread spool holder spindles are positioned so that the spool of thread can be mounted on the sewing machine head in a vertical position and is freely moveable along the vertical axis of the spindle. In such arrangements the thread is normally wound on the spool in continuous planes perpendicular to the axis of the spool. As the thread is unwound from the spool, the proper tension is provided by the tension unit of the machine. However, when the thread is wound on a light weight spool, such as styrofoam, it is found that the spool and the thread move along the vertical axis of the spindle causing tension changes in the thread which cannot be compensated for in the sewing machine tension unit. Thus, it has been found that the thread will continuously break causing large amounts of down time for the sewing machine operator. Additionally, where the thread is wound on a spool in planes which intersect the axis of the spool at varying angles, there is a continuous tension change on the thread which cannot be compensated for by the sewing machine tension unit. These tension changes also result in thread breakage and the resultant down time of the machine.
The present invention provides apparatus for mounting a spool of thread in a horizontal plane minimizing tension changes as the thread is fed from the spool to the tension unit of the sewing machine. The present invention enables all types of thread and spools to continuously flow to the tension unit of the sewing machine without restriction. Thread tension changes are minimized and the apparatus can be used in combination with all types of sewing machines.